I found this gem on the internet today. Go ahead and have a look, I’ll wait.
State Of West Virginia Elementary Diploma Test From 1931
Looks tough huh?
It seems like they weren’t so much teaching an overview of the material as I was accustomed to in school, but rather they were making sure students really understood and had a much deeper grasp of the material. I could be a little off on my time line but even in 1931 a good deal of students probably never went any further then the 8th grade (especially in rural areas) and that education had to serve them the rest of their lives.
A couple of things that really stand out to me are there is no BS multiple choice and insultingly easy questions that I remember from school. It seems you were expected to know your shit and you were going to prove it or fail.
So what do you think? Could you pass it?